This is the completion of my "trilogy" of Superman posts. Rather than another thinkpiece on Superman, I've decided to share something I've had notes on since "Superman Returns." When I was young, one of the things I always wanted to do was write a Superman movie. That has never changed, though realistically it would likely never happen. With that in mind, I've decided to share the detailed - and a bit rough - treatment for what I would do with Superman in the movies. (Fair warning, this was a labor of love, you may find some typos). I don't think Superman is a difficult character and I do believe he can stand for his classic ideals in the modern world. If you have some time, please feel free to read, comment and even reach out to me.
I started putting this together after "Superman Returns" and it does draw heavy influence from Geoff Johns' phenomenal "Superman: Brainiac" storyline. Posting this now is more therapeutic than anything else, and just an opportunity to tell a Superman story I may not otherwise ever be able to tell.
It's long, but I hope it engages you and you enjoy this vision of Superman.
So here it is... "Superman: The Man of Tomorrow"
SUPERMAN: THE MAN OF
TOMORROW
Treatment by Kevin Powers
Treatment by Kevin Powers
“What if they’re
afraid of me, Pa?”
“People will always be
afraid, son. But with your gifts, you can give them every reason not to be
afraid.”
“How?”
“By being you, Clark.
You can use these abilities to help others. You can give them hope for a better
tomorrow… give them a reason to look up.”
OPENING CREDITS
A montage of Superman's exploits since his public debut
through news clippings, broadcasts and interviews with witnesses, people
rescued and Superman himself.
18 months ago, SUPERMAN made his public debut preventing a
commercial airliner from crashing in Metropolis. Making the city his base of operations, he
helps where he can around the world - saving people from natural disasters,
terror attacks and the occasional super-villain. Although he does not involve
himself in regional conflicts, his presence is felt. Feared by many at first,
Superman makes himself available to the media and has held meetings with
various governments and the United Nations, including “controversial” nations
like Iran and Russia. Superman makes an effort to becomes a very public figure from the get-go.
Superman’s presence has resulted in other people with powers
to emerge throughout the world. Dubbed “metahumans,” some of them are good,
some are misunderstood and some are plain evil. Superman has battled the likes
of the Parasite, Livewire and The Prankster – each featured in Daily Planet
stories by Lois Lane and Clark Kent.
The final news clippings show LEX LUTHOR and Superman having
a good relationship and considered friends. Lex also discovered Kryptonite, a
rare metal that can weaken Superman and strip him of his powers. A second story
shows Lex destroying the Kryptonite and then in an interview, Lex goes as far
as to call Superman “a friend.” The Man of Steel has worked with LexCorp and
Wayne Enterprises to allow the study and reverse engineering of the Kryptonian
engine that brought his rocketship to Earth. The two companies have created the
quantum drive - an engine capable of lightspeed – and are preparing to test it
on LX-01, a rocket ship powered by nuclear fusion and the special engine.
LX-01 LAUNCH
Open on LexCorp Launch Station Alpha, a rocket launch
station off the coast of Metropolis. At a press area near the launch pad, VICKI
VALE explains BRUCE WAYNE's involvement in the development of the rocket but
acknowledges Wayne is not present at the event, but in his stead is LUCIUS FOX.
SNAPPER CARR delivers a report discussing the importance of the rocket and what
it could mean for humanity’s future. Finally, LOIS LANE discusses the history
of the quantum engine and how it relates back to Superman and his desire to
help humanity achieve greater things.
When the broadcasts end, Vicki and Lois exchange verbal jabs
commenting on each other's respective relationships with Batman and Superman.
Lois makes it clear that Vicki has never actually seen "The Batman"
and that he's just an urban legend in Gotham City. She quips, “maybe one of
these days I’ll head over to Gotham and get the exclusive.” When security tells them to leave, Lois tries
to convince one of the security guards to let her inside launch control, citing
she is General Sam Lane's daughter. After a moment of trying to charm her way
to an exclusive, the security guard pushes her towards the elevator. As the
door opens, a man - JOHN CORBEN - walks out and bumps into Lois. They are
momentarily flustered and she looks at his nametag to see the name "Jim
Lee" and the photo of an Asian-American man. When she looks at Corben, he
is not Asian-American. Just as she's about to question him, she's whisked away
into the elevator.
At the observation platform away from the launch station,
JIMMY OLSEN is trying to set up the perfect shot in hopes that Daily Planet
editor PERRY WHITE will use a photo from him, at least on the website. CLARK
KENT is trying to calm Jimmy's nerves by talking about the potential of the
LX-01 and discovery what could be out beyond the stars. Clark tells a story
about how he used to look at the stars late at night, wondering who else could
be out there looking back. Jimmy wonders if Superman will be present for the
launch. Clark smiles, assuring Jimmy that Superman probably isn't far.
Outside of the launch station, Lois calls Clark and tells
him something is wrong. When he tells her to alert security, she explains that
they thought she was crazy and that she's going to find Lex to tell him to call
off the launch. Clark tries to convince her otherwise, but she hangs up.
Inside the launch control center, Lex is observing the room
as the launch countdown begins. He's distracted when he hears "get your
hands off me!" and security escorts Lois into the control room. She
explains what she saw and although Lex doesn't believe her at first, he asks
for Jim Lee's information and is informed that Lee called out sick. The launch
sequence begins as Lex scans security systems and spots Corben exiting a
restricted area that houses the rocket’s booster and navigation controls. No
one recognizes Corben and Lex tries to call of the launch, but it's too late.
The launch starts and the control center panics trying to override the system sounding
alarms and yelling for an abort.
At the observation deck, Jimmy excitedly starts taking
pictures when he notices red alarm lights going off through his zoom lens. He
tells Clark that it looks like something is happening. Using his super-hearing,
Clark listens to the sounds coming from the control center and the alarms going
off at the launch pad as the rocket begins to lift off. Jimmy snaps a few
pictures as the rocket takes off and turns to talk to Clark, but Clark is gone.
The rocket continues to ascend when the boosters explode
causing it to spin out of control as it rises. Inside the control center, Lex
is angry that no one can override the controls and fears the worst. One of the
mission controllers informs Lex that if the quantum drive goes off inside
Earth's atmosphere it could theoretically open a wormhole or a black hole.
Superman flies past the control center and towards the
rocket. He floats outside the crew pod, using his heat vision to detach it from
the rest of the shuttle. The crew pod descends to Earth as Superman tries to
cool the rocket boosters with his freeze breath, but to no avail. He then
diverts his attention to the crew pod and makes sure they safely make it to the
ground.
Superman opens the pod and one of the astronauts tells him
that the quantum drive is active and if it explodes it could be catastrophic.
Superman takes off again racing towards the rocket booster and breaking the
sound barrier. He flies through the rocket, ripping the quantum drive out of
the shuttle's engine bay just as the rocket boosters and shuttle explode. Superman
flies the quantum drive safely back to the ground to the cheers of the crowd. As
he lands, Superman manages to shut down the drive but hears automatic gunfire
and cars screeching and flies towards the sky as crew members run to the drive.
In orbit above Earth, a satellite detects the quantum
drive's signature and then launches itself into deep space.
Back on Earth, Corben is in a high speed chase with police
driving erratically and firing a weapon at the same time. Superman flies
overhead and Corben is distracted as he hears the sonic boom. When he looks
back at the road, he tries to swerve as he slams into the back of a car, going
airborne and rolling violently off the road. Superman stops the car from
falling into a ravine, but Corben is severely injured in the crash.
In deep space, the mysterious satellite flies towards a space
craft lifelessly floating among the stars.
The satellite docks with the ship and a computer is activated, scanning
the satellite for information. It discovers the recorded data of the quantum
drive's signature. Suddenly, the entire ship powers on and a mysterious being
at the center of the ship - BRAINIAC - awakens.
DAILY PLANET
The next day at the Daily Planet, Perry White orders Jimmy
to get him black coffee and calls a meeting with Clark and Lois. They discuss
the rocket incident and Perry asks what information they've found on Corben.
Lois explains she hasn't found much other than Corben being a decorated soldier
in the Army and was also a mercenary who has recently been on the payroll of
both LexCorp and mega-corporation Omega Worldwide. Lois says she dug deeper and
found some questionable transactions between LexCorp and Omega subsidiaries and
notes that Wayne Industries refuses to work with Omega. Clark mentions he put
in a call to Wayne Industries and they do not know where the quantum drive is.
Perry wants them to investigate; Lois informs them she
already has a meeting with Omega CEO Bruno Manheim. Perry tells her to take
Olsen and Clark and get answers.
LEXCORP ROOF
Lex waits on the roof of his building as a medical
helicopter lands, delivering John Corben. Lex instructs his people to take
Corben to his private lab.
LOIS AND CLARK AT
OMEGA WORLDWIDE
Lois, Clark and Jimmy arrive at Omega Worldwide. They enter
the lobby and Lois started doling out orders, telling Jimmy to stay quiet and
for Clark to follow her lead and ask basic questions "like a good, naive
farmboy," to throw Manheim off. Manheim's assistant arrives to escort them
when police cars and fire trucks race by the building. The assistant asks for
identification as Clark turns and tries to filter his super-hearing to exactly
what is happening. He focuses on police band radio and listens as there are
reports of a woman threatening to jump and commit suicide three blocks away.
Clark feels around his pockets and looks at Lois. "Oh my gosh, I left my
wallet in the cab!" Clark runs out of the building, leaving Lois and
Jimmy. Suddenly, Jimmy gets an alert on his phone about the jumper and Lois
tells him to go and that she can handle herself.
Outside the Omega building, Clark ducks into an empty alley
and changes into Superman.
THE JUMPER
Standing on a balcony on a high-rise apartment building is a
young twenty-something. She's crying hysterically and looking down. Superman
appears hovering above her. She immediately yells as Superman not to stop her
and he promises that he won't, but that he wants to talk to her and floats to
eye level. Similar to the scene that
occurs in the Superman: Grounded
storyline, the woman explains what's troubling her and Superman just listens.
When she finishes, he talks to her about what it was like to grow up with his
developing powers and the fear of uncertainty. He tells her things get bad and
get worse, but you can never lose hope for a better tomorrow. Superman extends
his hand and tells the woman that if she is still hopeful for a better
tomorrow, then to take his hand. She sits and says she needs a moment and
Superman responds "I'll be here when you're ready."
LOIS CONFRONTS
MANHEIM
Inside Bruno Manheim's office, Manheim tries to make small
talk with Lois and asks her about her relationship with Superman. Lois tells
him to "cut the crap" and she immediately begins to grill him on his
relationship with John Corben and business dealings with LexCorp. Manheim skirts
around the issue and tells Lois there are forces at play she cannot possibly
understand. He does give her details of the exact work that Corben did for him,
including industrial sabotage and assistance in acquiring a rare metal
scattered all over the Earth. Lois presses further, but Manheim avoids the
issue, accusing Lois of conducting a witch-hunt and asks her to leave. He tells
her if she really wants a story then she should check the LexCorp Launch
Station’s lab.
Manheim watches Lois leave and then makes a phone call,
saying: “beef up security of all shipments coming through Gotham.”
THE JUMPER DECIDES
Superman still floats in front of the young woman ready to
jump. She finally stands and asks Superman once more if he'll stop her if she
jumps and he says "no, I gave you my word.” She then takes a step forward,
but grabs Superman's hand and hugs him. He carries her safely back down to the
ground and makes sure she gets medical attention.
THE FIRST BRAINIAC DRONE
ATTACKS
Lois is in a cab talking to Perry on the phone and says she
has a lead on the location of the quantum drive. The cab suddenly stops as a
large meteor can be seen heading for the ground.
Still aiding the young woman, Superman's attention is
diverted when he looks up and sees the fireball streak across the sky. Superman
asks the young woman once more if she is okay before he takes off.
Superman flies into the path of the oncoming object and is immediately knocked out of the way. He watches as it crashes into a field at the LexCorp Launch Station. Security approaches it and it transforms into a humanoid robot - BRAINIAC DRONE 1 - and attacks the security guards.
Superman flies into the path of the oncoming object and is immediately knocked out of the way. He watches as it crashes into a field at the LexCorp Launch Station. Security approaches it and it transforms into a humanoid robot - BRAINIAC DRONE 1 - and attacks the security guards.
Superman flies onto the scene and punches the drone into the
ground. He then directs his attention to the injured guards, flying them to
safety at super-speed and then back to the seemingly destroyed drone, telling
the other guards to get clear. The Brainiac drone awakens and punches Superman
knocking into an SUV.
The drone begins to scan Superman and calls him an anomaly
and that he shouldn’t exist. Superman
flies at the drone and unleashes a barrage of punches that the drone is able to
absorb. The drone fights back and grabs Superman by the neck, slamming him into
the ground. The drone unleashes two tentacles from its torso that pin
Superman's arms. Using his heat vision, Superman is able to break free of the
drone’s grip as more armed guards and armored vehicles arrive and open fire on
the drone, distracting it long enough for Superman to regain his bearings.
Superman and the drone fight in mid-air and Superman battles
to keep the drone from reattaching its tentacles. Explosions goes off in the
sky next them as the guards are firing high-explosive weapons into the air.
Finally, one of the explosions hits the drone and it’s dazed, allowing Superman
to hit it at super-speed and force it through the hangar roof.
Inside the hangar, Superman stands between the drone and the
remains of the LX-01, including the quantum drive. They battle again, but
Superman doesn't hold back, pulling on the tentacles to punch and do serious
damage to the drone. After he rips out the tentacles, Superman uses his X-Ray
vision to find a processor. Using his heat vision to soften the metal, Superman
punches through the drone's chest and rips out the processor and crushes it,
shutting down the drone.
DRONE BATTLE
AFTERMATH
Lex arrives at the hangar and is immediately fascinated with
the drone, citing that it has technology he's never seen. Superman questions
why Lex still has the LX-01 and asks if Bruce Wayne knows. Lex informs Superman
that LexCorp has more proprietary and patented tech in it than Wayne Industries,
effectively making it his property. Lex also lays claim to the drone and
implies that Superman leave. Lois arrives and she immediately questions Lex
about the LX-01 and why he’s keeping it hidden. Lex tells them both to get off
his property and after a tense stare down, Superman picks up Lois and flies
away. Lex orders the drone be taken to
his lab at once.
DAILY PLANET
Superman flies Lois back to the roof of the Daily Planet and
she asks him to dinner in their “usual spot.” Superman agrees and flies away.
Lois enters the bullpen inside the planet as Jimmy is
recounting the story of Superman saving the young woman, but Perry is
disappointed that Jimmy didn't get photos of the drone. Lois tells Perry she'll have the Brainiac story
in an hour, but it may bury Lex which makes Perry nervous. When Perry asks
about Manheim, Lois explains that she’s still investigating. She sits at her
desk and sees Clark sitting at his. “Did you find your wallet?” Clark smiles
and shows her the wallet.
Lois laughs and makes a phone call to an unknown party.
"Do me a favor; see if you can any shipments of metals and minerals
recently. I'll email you a list of companies to look out for. Yes, yes. Next
time you are in Metropolis, I'll see what I can do."
BRAINIAC’S SHIP
From his stasis pod, Brainiac is watching satellite and
broadcast footage of his drone’s battle with Superman. He tells his computer to
process the results of the drone’s scan and learns that Superman is Kryptonian.
“Impossible. Acquire sample for analysis.”
Two drones launch from Brainiac’s ship and enter a wormhole.
DATE WITH LOIS
Later in the evening atop the Metropolis Sky Tower (think
Seattle's Space Needle), Superman and Lois have dinner together and discuss
their relationship. Superman flew to Paris to bring Lois a very specific
dessert. While she is grateful, she's also upset that after nearly a year of
dating, he won't tell her his secret identity. She wants to go on normal dates
with him and have a normal life.
They quip back and forth, but Superman doesn’t know if it’s
the right thing to do. Lois says “you can tell me or not, but if you don’t I’m
not going to keep doing this.”
Superman pauses but is distracted when he hears a sonic
boom. He looks up and it immediately tackled into the air by the two Brainiac
drones. He battles the drones in mid-air, trying to fly them away from the
city. One of the drones wraps a tentacle around Superman’s neck and the other
grabs his waist and the plummet back towards the ground.
Superman and the drones land hard in Centennial Park and
continue to battle. Superman is soon overwhelmed as one drone jumps on his back
and wraps its arms and legs around him. The other drone uses its hand to cover
Superman’s face and send a small probe attached to a cable into his throat.
Superman struggles as the drone transmits data to a "Brainiac Prime"
and Superman has flashes of Krypton and his real parents. After a moment,
Superman uses his heat vision to free himself of the drone's grip. Superman breaks
free of the other drone and uses his freeze breath to slow it down. With the
drone partially frozen, Superman uses his heat vision to rip out the drone’s
processor, shutting it down. He turns
his attention to the other drone but it takes off into the sky. Police and
firefighters arrive and Lois appears. Superman looks at Lois, grabs the drone
and takes off.
FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE
Superman flies into orbit and then back down towards the
Arctic. He flies toward an iceberg where about two-thirds of the way to the top
there is a section that has steps and a smoothed over area that looks like a
door. Superman stands on the final step before the door and puts his hand in
the center of it. Kryptonian lettering appears across the door and some of the
characters begin to form a sequence - like a combination. The door opens and
Superman is greeted by his robot KELEX.
Superman makes his way through the fortress to a Kryptonian
console. When he activates the console, a projection of JOR-EL appears before
him. Jor-EL praises his son for the good he is doing on Earth and encourages
him to keep going, but can sense there is something wrong. Superman lifts up
the drone and shows it to Jor-EL, asking about Brainiac. Jor-EL's demeanor
immediately changes. Superman explains the encounter with the drone and
mentions "Brainiac Prime." Jor-EL is stricken with grief and tells
his son that Earth is doomed.
Jor-EL explains Brainiac's history and what happened when it
came to Krypton. Showing Superman a projection of what happened; Jor-EL
explains that Brainiac seeks out world's that are on the brink of total
devastation. Jor-EL recounts that seven years before Superman was born,
Brainiac came to Krypton. He explains the former capital city of Krypton -
Kandor - was the most prosperous, progressive and technologically advanced city
on the planet. Jor-EL explains that Kandor was the ideal of what all of Krypton
strived to be - successful, accepting and a hub intergalactic travel on an
otherwise xenophobic world. Then Brainiac arrived.
Superman is shown images of Brainiac drones swarming Kandor
and the people of Kandor trying to fight back. Brainiac’s drones corral the
citizens of Kandor within the city limits. Some of the citizens resist and
fight the drones, but they are immediately killed. Superman watches in horror
as Kandor is encased, lifted from the planet's crust and shrunk. Jor-EL tells Superman that Brainiac collects
the greatest cities of civilizations and planets on the brink of destruction -
and that is how Jor-EL learned Krypton was doomed.
However, Jor-EL questions Brainiac's motives. He
acknowledges that Earth's climate is teetering on the brink of collapse, but
the core is stable. Jor-EL goes over Brainiac's history based on his own
research conducted with his brother Zor-EL. Brainiac is from the planet Colu
and was once a revered scientist named Vril Dox. The Coluans are a mostly
peaceful people who believe in advancing other civilizations and worlds. Dox
had an opposite philosophy, merging with a sentient computer program and
becoming Brainiac. His only purpose now is to collect specimens of failed
worlds and use their knowledge to better only himself. When Superman asks how
to stop him, Jor-EL tells him "there is no way to stop him. Earth's final
days have come."
BRAINIAC’S SHIP
Onboard Brainiac’s ship, the alien rests in his stasis pod
as the drone returns and plugs itself into the mainframe of the ship. Brainiac
asks the computer to bring up specific files regarding the Superman sample
collected on Earth. Brainiac also examines his files from Krypton, recounting
the history of the planet’s destruction. The Kryptonians tapped into the
planet’s core as an energy source rather than exploring alternative energy
sources. Although they briefly thrived, they poisoned the planet from the
inside, making Krypton unstable. Brainiac acquired Kandor when Krypton’s fate
was irreversible.
When reviewing the files, Brainiac discovers two quantum
drive signatures – one from Argo City and the other from Kryptonopolis. They
both entered a wormhole, but only one made it to Earth.
Brainiac processes data on Earth, discovering it has a similar
orbit pattern and many of the same characteristics as Krypton. The computer
notes that Earth is only halfway through its life cycle, but the dominant
species – humans – have accelerated the planet’s decline through war, famine
and environmental irresponsibility. The computer also notes that Superman
resides mostly in Metropolis – Earth’s most advanced city. The computer
explains how Earth’s yellow sun is also the source of Superman’s abilities.
Brainiac sets course for Earth and prepares to acquire Metropolis as his ship
opens and enters a wormhole.
LEX’S LAB
In the depths of the LexCorp building is Lex’s secret lab.
The lab itself is highly advanced with many recognizable and practical
workstations, as well as many that reach beyond standard sciences. Lex works
alone, listening to classical music and dissecting the first Brainiac
drone. He notes that the metal appears
to be organic and was only truly vulnerable to Superman’s heat vision. He
posits that he can adjust the resiliency of the metal and apply it to both
improve his battlesuit and provide the perfect shell for his secret “Metallo
Project.”
KENT FARM
Clark sits on the top floor of his family’s barn, leaning on
the door and looking up at the stars. PA KENT greets Clark and immediately
notices that Clark is shaken. Clark explains the encounter with the Brainiac
Drone and his visit to the Fortress of Solitude, briefly recounting what Jor-EL
told him. With Brainiac looming, Clark believes everything he’s done is for
nothing and that humanity will never try and fix their mistakes. Pa
acknowledges that humanity can be its own worst enemy, but that as Superman;
Clark can be a beacon of hope that will inspire humanity to be better. Pa
briefly recounts the problems he and Ma Kent faced trying to have children, but
when Clark fell from the sky, they had new hope of a better tomorrow.
Pa tells Clark that humanity can be cynical, fearful and
always preparing for the worst and that is why some people still fear Superman.
But Pa also reminds his son that he’s more than just Superman, he’s more human
than he is Kryptonian and at the end of the day, he’s still just Clark
Kent. Pa is confident that Clark will defeat Brainiac or any other threat that
comes his way, and that the people of Earth will have another reason to strive
for a better tomorrow. “You can put on
that suit and be Superman, but you’re still Clark Kent, and the one thing Clark
Kent and Superman have in common is you always find a way. You always give us
hope, son.”
Clark has dinner with his parents at the house. MA KENT
scolds Clark on his manners when he tries to go for food before she sits down
and then she asks briefly about “the killer robot.” Ma almost brushes it off,
confident that Clark or some his “super-friends” can stop it. Ma pivots and
asks about Lois, reminding Clark that he can’t be Superman all the time. Clark
is a bit coy and both Ma and Pa are disappointed he hasn’t told Lois his
identity yet. Clark tries to say it’s complicated, but Ma doesn’t accept that.
She mentions his high school sweetheart, Lana Lang, the first person he ever
told and she’s been fine having kept the secret. Pa laughs about the entire
situation, saying “Lois is a Pulitzer prize winning journalist, Clark. You’re
naïve if you think she doesn’t know!” Ma joins her husband’s assertion, “she
loves you Clark, but it’s up to you to let her in.”
LOIS’ LEAD
The next morning, Lois is asleep as her phone rings – it’s
Vicki Vale, the contact she made following the first Braniac incident. She has
a tip for Lois and says the connection between LexCorp and Omega Worldwide is
that Omega has been supplying LexCorp with Kryptonite. Vicki tells Lois that
the shipments come through Gotham City before making their way to Metropolis
and that she’s emailing the information. When Lois asks how Vicki found out, Vicki
replies "an urban legend helped me out."
BRAINIAC ARRIVES
Brainiac’s ship exits a wormhole in Earth’s orbit and makes
its way into the atmosphere. The military immediately goes into a frenzy trying
to identify the ship. The ship rapidly descends above Metropolis and people
drop what they are doing.
Inside Lex’s office, Lex and Lois watch the ship in awe.
Lois looks at Lex, “you do this?” And Lex responds “Can’t you call Superman?”
Superman then flies towards Brainiac’s ship and Lex and Lois
both breathe a sigh of relief. As Superman approaches the ship an energy beam
hits him and he’s knocked back into the ground. Suddenly, Brainiac drones
emerge from the bottom of the ship.
Lex tells Lois he’ll show her exactly what he needs the
Kryptonite for and they enter a private elevator.
Superman struggles to get back to his feet as he looks up
and sees the Brainiac drones making their way to Earth. Superman takes off and
starts fighting the drones and they all focus on him.
Lex and Lois arrive in Lex’s workshop and he explains that
the Kryptonite is also a power source and he’s been experimenting with
harnessing that power. When Lois asks why, Lex unveils his battlesuit, powers
it on and tells her “Superman can’t do it alone.”
Moments later, a hangar opens in a courtyard behind the
LexCorp building and Lex takes off into the sky.
In the sky above Metropolis, Superman is holding his own but
focuses on saving people from the drones and that puts him at a disadvantage.
Just as he starts to get overwhelmed Lex appears in the battle armor and helps
Superman fend off the drones.
Superman briefly explains to Lex that the ship belongs to an
alien called Brainiac. Lex questions Superman about how he knows and the Man of
Steel explains that he just learned of Brainiac’s existence.
Superman tells Lex he needs to get into the ship before
Brainiac bottles Metropolis. With no time to explain, Lex and Superman fly
towards Brainiac’s ship and draw the drones towards them, using them as shields
for Brainiac’s energy beams.
Lex gets taken down by drones and Superman manages to avoid
an energy beam just to be grabbed by a larger tentacle from the ship. Superman
is pinned and pulled into the ship as Lex struggles to fight off the drones.
BRAINIAC’S SHIP
Bound by the drones on board the ship, Superman is brought
through a collections room with thousands of bottled cities and looks on in
horror. He is then brought before Brainiac. The drones force Superman to his
knees and Brainiac emerges from his stasis pod. He’s massive and physically
imposing. He grabs Superman by the neck and explains that he shouldn’t exist
because Krypton is gone. Superman tries to fight back but Brainiac overpowers
him.
Brainiac explains his intentions – he preserves the greatest
cultural achievements of worlds that are about to die. Earth wasn’t a target,
but Superman’s presence has accelerated the timetable for Earth’s death.
Superman disputes Brainiac’s claim, suggesting humanity can change, they just
need a push.
Brainiac counters and suggests even if humanity stopped the
damage done to the environment, there are other parties interested in Earth,
mostly because of Superman’s presence. Brainiac also tells Superman that his
existence must end as Krypton has been destroyed. Brainiac claims to be benevolent and gives
Superman a choice as one of his drones brings the bottled city of Kandor and
place it in front of Superman. Brainiac tells Superman he can die and be
studied by Brainiac or he can live for eternity, powerless inside Kandor.
Superman remains resilient as Brainiac calls him “a god with
no world.” Brainiac tells Superman before he makes his choice, he will watch
Earth’s greatest city be taken for collection.
THE BOTTLE
A gel-like substance begins to emerge from the bottom of
Brainiac’s ship as the drones float into the air. Lex’s battlesuit is damaged
and he’s a bit beat up. He watches in shock as the substance descends in a
opaque shape around the city.
Lois, Perry and Jimmy watch from outside The Daily Planet as
the casing lowers.
The casing wraps around the city and begins to harden,
cutting off people on the outskirts of the city and prevents people from
getting out.
Lex diverts all remaining power to his thrusters and takes
off, flying towards the Launch Station.
BRAINIAC’S SHIP
Superman pleads with Brainiac to stop, but the alien
reaffirms his position that there is no hope for humanity. A small drone floats
in front of Brainiac and he broadcasts to everyone on Earth. He announces his
intentions and tells humanity they have failed their planet and not even
Superman could save them.
As the world looks on in fear, Superman screams and uses all
of his strength to break free of the restraints. Shocked Brainiac turns and is met with a
massive punch. The drone feed cuts off as Superman and Brainiac battle in the
ship, eventually crashing through the hull and back down to Earth.
SUPERMAN VS. BRAINIAC
Superman and Brainiac battle in the sky above Metropolis.
Neither one of them has a clear advantage, but Superman is easily distracted by
saving people and preventing catastrophic damage. Lex arrives to help Superman
and together they battle back towards Brainiac’s ship.
They crash back inside the ship and Brainiac is left
reeling. Lex tells Superman he’s armed and aimed the quantum drive at
Brainiac’s ship and will destroy it. Superman is shocked and tells Lex to look
around – millions of lives are at stake inside the bottled cities.
Lex blames Superman for bringing Brainiac to Earth and
reveals he’s never trusted Superman and fires a Kryptonite beam, taking
Superman down. Brainiac then fires a weapon at Lex forcing him out of the ship.
Brainiac prepares to shrink Metropolis, but Superman uses
his heat vision to knock Brainiac away before punching through the console,
causing the process to halt and the encasing to disappear. Brainiac is irate
and begins to mercilessly punch Superman. “Why do you save them?!” Brainiac
asks. Superman replies: “Because there’s always a better tomorrow.”
Superman fights back, overwhelming Brainiac and pushing him
back into the stasis pod, using his heat vision to seal him shut. Superman continues
to fight off Brainiac drones.
From the ground, Lex uses a keypad on his armor to launch
the quantum drive. “Die aliens.”
Superman fends off the last of the drones and flies out of
the ship at super-speed, looking for the quantum drive. It races towards ship
and Superman flies at it. He grabs it and tries to stop it, but Lex has used
Kryptonite as part of the drive’s shell and Superman is weakened. Using his
last bits of strength he changes position and manages to pull the drive away
from the ship.
Superman falls away as the quantum drive explodes, creating
a shockwave that momentarily stuns him as a wormhole opens in the sky above
Metropolis. Superman regains his bearings in mid-air and flies back towards
Brainiac’s ship as it’s slowly being pulled into the wormhole.
Flying back into the ship’s hull, Superman grabs Kandor and
looks at Brainiac. “I will return, Kryptonian. You will die.” Superman looks at
Brainiac with disgust. “When you do, I’ll save the rest of the lives you
stole.”
Superman flies out of the wormhole and makes his way back
down to the ground as Brainiac’s ship is pulled in and the wormhole closes. The
people of Metropolis cheer wildly as Superman descends to the ground, carrying
Kandor. Jimmy takes a photo of Superman and immediately shows it to Perry who
smiles with joy.
SUPERMAN CONFRONTS
LEX
Inside his office later that night, Lex is irate over the
headlines online and in the Daily Planet. “SUPERMAN SAVES THE WORLD.” Lex
angrily declares that he saved the world and if it weren’t for Superman,
Brainiac would have never showed up.
Superman appears outside Lex’s office. Superman demands
answers and wants to know why Lex attacked him. Lex reveals that he’s always
hated Superman and doesn’t trust him. He’s an alien and he’s done nothing but
put people in danger. Lex also says “I AM SUPPOSED TO BE HUMANITY’S SAVIOR, NOT
YOU!” Superman stares at Lex stoically and Lex screams “SAY SOMETHING!”
Superman gets in Lex’s face and says “I CAN SEE YOUR SOUL” before flying away.
Lex receives a call telling him that Corben is ready.
In his lab, a surgical team awaits Lex as he scrubs in for
an operation. On an operating table is Corben’s body. Two scientists wheel in
another table and uncover it to reveal a metallic skeleton. When Lex asks for
the power source, a case carrying a Kryptonite heart is brought in. He examines
the Kryptonite and then looks at Corben: “It’s time for a new job, Mr. Corben.”
SUPERMAN TELLS LOIS
Lois stands on her balcony looking at the skyline. Superman
flies up to her and they briefly discuss what happened with Lex. Lois acts a
little cold towards him, but Superman gently grabs her arm. “Lois, I love you.
It’s time for you to know…” Lois smiles, “It took you long enough, Smallville.”
Superman is taken aback, surprised that Lois really did know all along.
“So you did know?”
“Looks like Lois Lane is going to dump Superman for Clark
Kent. How scandalous.”
Superman smiles and they kiss as we pan up to the stars.
END
STINGER:
SUPERMAN CONFRONTS
MANHEIM
At night, Bruno Manheim dismisses his assistant for the
night and pours himself a drink. When he turns around, Superman is floating
outside his window. Manheim takes a drink and smirks at Superman. Through the
glass Superman says "I'm watching you." Manheim laughs and grabs a
permanent marker from his desk, draws an Omega symbol on the window and says
"So is he."
